Apparatus for taking samples of fluid from wells



13; 19434 A. M ANDY 2,316,216

APPARATUS FOR TAKING SAMPLES OF FLUI FROM WELLS `Filed Nov.`l 16, 1940 sa? Y :fh/W7;

.h Patented Apr.y 13, 1943 1 e, z`.a1s.21`e e e .ArrAnAfrUsFo TAKING sAMPLnsoF .rLUmmoMwELLs This invention relatesto apparatus for takingy vsamples ofuid from wells fandhasparticular Vrelation toV meansfortakin'g samples ofeither liquid or gasffrom -thestratur'n atgthegbottom` the sampler-eceiving chamber 2.

i threaded ,into said -end there is -a connection 3 having the internally threaded' ,side Vopening 4 ,-andtalso having anaxialduct leading from the *ofthe well. l i 5v chamberl;` Theuppenend of this duct is opened Itis anobject ofthe invention to provide a and closed. bythe needle valve 6 which has a sample taking apparatus that may be lowered 'j threaded'connection with the upper end ofthe intoandlwithdrawn from awell bore Vby means Iconnection 3 and `which issurrounded by the of a ilexibleline suchasiacableandwhichconr stung box 1. The uppermend of the needle tains asample `receiving:chamber wherein the 10` valve has a hand wheelI 8" fixed thereon. `The V"liquid orgas flowing into the well bore from the connection and' needle valve` are enclosed by `a stratuxnbeing tested may be entrapped and with tubular *housingv il which is threaded to the up- ',drawnirom .the well to the `groundsurface and per Venel of the container Land whose upper end whereby drilling fiuidrwill be positivel excluded his closedby a head III which is threaded thereto. from `the entrapped sample so as; not to contami- `15 This `head has anupstanding neck `II whose up- Vnate thesa'mep 1 3l Y per end terminates-in a cone I2 with which a, f1 h :Theinvention embodies improvements I over grappling tool may be Aenggedlwhen itis desired V.that'type or sample taking devicelforwells disto remove the apparatus frOm the `Well- Any closed in`my Patent No'. 2176,240"issu"edibyfthe I conventional type of. grappling tool may be ern- I iUnitedStatesfPatent Oflc on` October 1'7,` '1 9 39'rr 20 pl oye d and it mayfbe loweredinto the well and and one'f thelprincipal features embdyinthe withdrawn by means of acable" in the V well known h' 'improvementsover the constructioridis closedfbi@AV Aplanner; A L j l saidtpatent` consistsc of -va1 ve` means f`-f or-.1utcV f Attached-to thelowen endfof the container I t i v'maticallyiclosingthepassagewayinto'thefsarnple- L there isaMtubular barrel;IA- whoseupper end'is 'Y r'eceiving chamber'ai'ter the` sampl'el/hastentered `formed witha downwardly convergingvalve seat f f i 'siduchmber and the apparatus has bcen'liffted t I5 withwhicli the upwardly opening check 'valve OfbOttOm-f l i i" i 'I6 coolgierates.4 ll t The invention also embodies a.` D0Ve.1t,ype 0f f g Secured in the barrelabove said check Vvalve POintor probeadapted top enetl'ate ntthe OF- there ist. a spiderfgsIl having a lcentral bearing l mation-t0 be usted-andthe passageway thnrough 3f) through which the valve stem I8, on the upper whxltitstxotzted b'yda nttli'lveltl/)he if screen.; 1 i end ofV the valve, Works.` The splder'also has the f l i i- 0"@` an `C @1"0 @C S lnYleW e "side orts` I9 `for a u ose-to beV hereinafter `f invent-ionyhaspaftulallflatmn*t0.Certainnmel i `state); fThevalve is-xsirallymaintainedclosed features 0f mnstfuction Operation and arrange by means ofV the coil fspringltwhlchsurrounds Fment 0f parts-an7example of which lis given-ln 35 thestem and/is interposed Abetween the valveand this specificationarid illustrated in theaccom- Spidern h. 4 i

` panymg drawing? Wheremr: f'l l i -I `A tubular packing housin'gZl is threaded into uf-e 1 showslan elevational View Qfsthe/up" the'4 lowerendiof the barrel I4 andtits'upper l per endnfnwapparatus Shown Damy@ section end is lenlarged internally forming the-inside, and HshfW-igg ith@ Samplerecelvmg Chamber 40 annular,` upwardlyfa'cing shoulder 22.: s lo`liedure 2 verlticalfs'ectional"viewer the l A tbu-la'r' stem 2391s located Within and" ex' jlowe end of the appa-ratusfshowing the parts in l ftendsbeneath thezpackmg housipg 2| Theup" th- ,tsl th 6,1. hu -b i l perfendofithisstem has an outwardly=extending, posi .on ey mi occupyw l e eing oweredV t l I Figure El` shows fa, vertical, i secticnal vie\vff of Y the Should?? paqkmg 25 is located Within thewpe of screenmpmyedwand j the housingvZI aroundthevstemand-is conned Y `Figure 4 shows a` vox-tical# sectional `View ot fby the mslde? annular dyrxwardly :Ewing shoul' thylcwerend of thcapparatus shownn active Y filf 25 in she housing 2v' ndhgmnd 21' which fpositionto admit a liquid or gas sample;V l 50 ls sc l'eweqmto ,theoWsr en@ IOI. th?? housing lizeferrfmg new more particruapriy tothe drawandvwhichabutssaid-packlna x ling,` wherein.` like numeralsof"reference jdesigf-V The loweryenf'd of thegland 21 is reduced so nate' the same partsin each of the figures the as to iit within the central `bore ofthe drill.` It H1 /numeral I designates a tubular containerihaying is tobe understoodthat the apparatus will usuallyf be loweredthrollughthe `l drill stern with its 1 I5. It has'an axial duct lowerl end is turned lat- #groove 44 Varound said core.

throughthe drill stem l through the drilling fluidtherein and its lower Y lend` will project 2 Y lower end projecting through the central bore oi the drill and resting on the bottom of the bore.

The stern 23extends beneath the gland 21 and a tubular point, or prob, 28 is screwed onto the lower end of the stem and contains a screen designated' generally by the numeral 29. This screen, in the present instance, consists of a per- `forated tube Y3II which; is

Vwill vengage underneathv the ring 55 to lock the ,apparatus in place.

Wrappeiby |a .screenl' l ing wire 3l,.vandzwhich{has-the'external, upper i and lower,]ilanges 32;.;3`3.screwedfthereonl' The upper flange' v32 v'r e f:-`;ts on' an internal, annular shoulder vwithin angehasthe perfo gas vin` the forinatiii'bei throughv .the perforations spaces between the wire 3|."to`ex'clude solid material and on up ,through the stem 23.'

with thenarigefurestingyc the shouiderzz the probe f28 will'be spaced beneath thej lower end' of the gland 21., A nipple 36 is screwed into the upperv end ofthestem`23 and has anaxial duct 31 extending therethrough but terminating beneaththje upper'end thereof.

E Screwed into the sideof v the nipple 3I and extending outwardly-"therefrom'- there' are the hollow plugs v38, 38 whichcommunicate lwith the duct 31 and whose outer ends are closed.

ted' l :hay iiow. up 35 "fand through the 8 and the Alower softhat the: ou or.

i on downwardly Vcausing the Y with and shear the plugs 38 and the lower end of the gland 21 will land on the upper end of'`V the yprobe 28 as shown in Figure 4 with the f `shea'redV plugs 31 Vabove the ring 39'.

vThe tapered lower end of the probe will be forded into the formation at the bottom of the well by the weight onthem thus sealing the lower end of theprobe 28 against the entrance These plugs arev formed of material which may b e'readilyv sheared or broken."

'I'he upper endof the nipple 35 works closely through a central bearing of the'rlng 39. `'Iliiis ring is secured-in the barrel I4 above the plugs `38. Above the ring 39 there is a valve assembly which comprises a sleeve valve'40 slidably mountrIhe upper end of this ed on the valve core 4I.y

head 42 which is core'is enlarged and kformsa screwed into the barrel I4 43 leading from its upper end and whose erally and terminates in an external, annular The valve hasY a side port 45 adapted to move into and outV of l registration with the groove 44. The lowerend of the sleeve valve'40 has an external, lannular shoulder 46.

A coil spring 41 surroundssaid valve and is interposed between the shoulder 48 and the head 42 andnormally holds the port 45 out of registration with the' groove 44as'shown in Fig- `Between the'up'per end of the nipple`36 and the lower end o f Athe valve 40 there is a floating disc l'forming'a stop to limit the downward movement ol." the-'valve v45. v.

If desired a flow bean or choke 49fmay be beneath the seat 'and passing on up through of the drillingiiuid, as shown inr Figure 4, so

'thatithe gas or oil in theformation beneath the VV'probe 28 may 'pass up through said probe and *stem V23 and 'onfup through the choke 49 and nipple 36 and out through the sheared plugs 31.` Uponthis downward movement of said barrel I4asi above explained the lower end of the ysleeve valve will landon the disc 48 which is then supported on the upper end of the nipple 36 and the valve core 4I will move on downwardly until its lower end also contacts said disc 48` at which time the duct 43 will communicate with the groove 44 and the liquid or huid will flow on through thelport 45, -the duct 43 and on v-up through the seat I5 liftingthe valve I6 theports I9 into the'chamber 2. When the pressure in the charnber 2 is equalized with that beneath the valve .-I6,- said valve will close andV entrap the sample of'the liquid or gas, in the chamber'2.` 5

A grappling tool may'then be lowered into the drill `stem byhneans. of a cable and engaged-with the" cone I2 and upon an upwardpull the latch 53 will be retracted and the apparatus may then be withdrawn to the-ground surface for inspection oi.' the` sample. i

In some cases the pressure of the drilling fluid #in the well may exceedVV the pressure of the entrapped sample. Upon elevation ofthe probe 28 from the formation the parts move into the ytis screwedinto the lower end of the duct 31 having a `restricted vfluid passageway therethrough so as to reduce the pressure ofthe liquid flowing through' said choke. A

In operation the apparatus isv assembled afs shown in Figures 1 and 2 with the valve 6 closed. The drill stem 50 should thenv be lifted so ,as to lift the drill 5I ofi' of bottom. The apparatus showny in Figures 1 and 2 may then vbe dropped andvitxwillrpass down through the central bore 52 of the* drillV 5I. The hea'd I0 has a latch 53 seated inV a slot in Asaid head and whoselower end is pivoted in the head with. its upper end held projected out'by the spring 54. The drill position shown in Figure 2, the stem 23 moving downwardly relativeto thehousing 2I and barrel I4. Upon such relative,v downward movement the spring 41 expands andv moves the sleeve valve 40 downwardly relative to the valve core 4I thus carrying the port 45 Y out of registration with the groove 44 and closingthe duct 43 so that the drilling uid will be positively cut oft from theY chamber 2 thus insuring that none of the drilling fluid willv 'enter and contaminate the sample. c H

-Whenthe apparatus has been withdrawn from the well the housing 9 maybe removed from the container I and 'a' gage' screwed into the tapped opening 4 and the needle valve kIi opened -and the pressure contained inY the chamber f2 thus ascertained and with the gage detached the valve 6 may then be opened and the contents l of the chamber 2 drained out for inspection.

stem 50 has an inside, inwardly projecting ring 55 vthrough which the head passes and when f the latch clearssaid ring it will be forced outwardly into the position shown in Figure l and The drawing and description are illustrative 'Y merely and arenot intended to restrict the invention'to the'precise form shown or otherwise than deiined by the appended claims.

chamber and `provided l said chamber; a. `tubularkprobe throughwhich a tubularscreen in the be lowered mtoewou chamber therein, a

the formation ot the bottom of the wen and to around the inlet end of the conduit.'means normally closing the conduit what I claim is:` p l. In a sample taking device having a sample with a channel entering said channel extends and having a tapered lower end adapted to penetrate into the earth stratum to be tested and to annular downwardly device for wells shaped to and to land on the botable upwardly relative form a seal therewith and adapted to be broken, said stem being movto the barrel, means effective tobreak said closing means to open the conduit upon such upward movement to -admit fluid from the well. said container having an inlet valve through which the admitted uid may enter, and be trapped in, the chamber, a l v sleeve valve on the stem arranged to be opened upon said upward movement of the stem and a `yieldable member normally tending to hold the adaptedto penetrate into sleeve valve closed to preventfthe entrance ot` fluid from the well through said inlet conduit. f

' l ALVIN M. HANDY. 

